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• South Africa, world mourn 'giant for justice' Mandela
• Nelson Mandela, from apartheid fighter to president and unifier
• Suicide bomber, gunmen kill 52 at Yemeni defense ministry
• Insight - Fukushima water tanks: leaky and built with illegal labor
• Ukraine protesters vow to stay on streets despite police threat
• U.S. assures Israel that core Iran sanctions still in place
• Mandela, anti-apartheid icon, mourned world over
• Gracious and tough, Mandela was fun to cover
• US repatriates two Algerian Guantanamo detainees
• South Africans mourn, celebrate Mandela
• Mandela's struggle was personal inspiration for me: Obama
• William 'extremely sad' as he leaves Mandela premiere
• Nelson Mandela's death: Live Report
• Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela dies aged 95
• Uniting South Africa was Mandela's greatest accomplishment: de Klerk
• Nelson Mandela has died, Zuma tells the world
• Clashes sweep Central Africa Republic capital
• Nelson Mandela, South Africa's peacemaker, dies
• American teacher shot dead in Libya's Benghazi
• Renewable fuel backers try to change EPA's mind at hearing
• Guay fastest in Beaver Creek training
• Mandela in his own words
• World leaders honor Mandela as champion of freedom and reconciliation
• President Obama's comments about death of Mandela
• Tutu: Mandela 'taught us how to come together'
• Obama mourns death of icon Nelson Mandela
• 'A great light has gone out', Cameron says of Mandela
• Activists: Rebels kill Iraqi journalist in Syria
• Quebecor sells 74 Canadian weeklies to Transcontinental
• Obama: 'courageous' Mandela left legacy of freedom, peace
• Zuma's announcement on death of Nelson Mandela
• Nicaragua shootout fuels suspicions of guerrillas
• Hurricane-force winds wreak havoc in Britain, head to Europe
• Factbox: Reaction to the death of Nelson Mandela
• Kerry seeks to soothe Israeli security concerns
• South Africa has lost 'colossus' in Mandela: ANC
• Pope forms commission to advise on sex abuse

South Africa, world mourn 'giant for justice' Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:16 PM PST By Ed Cropley and Pascal Fletcher JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home on Thursday after a prolonged lung infection, plunging his nation and the world into mourning for a man hailed by global leaders as a moral giant. Although Mandela had been frail and ailing for nearly a year, Zuma's announcement late on Thursday of the death of the former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate shook South Africa. U.S. President Barack Obama said the world had lost "one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth". Ordinary South Africans were in shock.

Nelson Mandela, from apartheid fighter to president and unifier Posted: 05 Dec 2013 01:52 PM PST Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid to multi-racial democracy, as an icon of peace and reconciliation who came to embody the struggle for justice around the world. Imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against white minority rule, Mandela emerged determined to use his prestige and charisma to bring down apartheid while avoiding a civil war. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come," Mandela said in his acceptance speech on becoming South Africa's first black president in 1994. "We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation." In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he shared with F.W. de Klerk, the white Afrikaner leader who freed him from prison three years earlier and negotiated the end of apartheid.

Suicide bomber, gunmen kill 52 at Yemeni defense ministry Posted: 05 Dec 2013 01:42 PM PST By Mohammed Ghobari SANAA (Reuters) - A suicide bomber and gunmen wearing army uniforms attacked Yemen's defense ministry on Thursday, killing 52 people including foreign medical staff, government sources said, in the country's worst militant assault in 18 months. The U.S. military raised its alert status in the region after the coordinated strikes on its ally, which is also home to what Washington has called the most active arm of al Qaeda. The attack wounded 167 people, said the Yemeni government's security committee. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but a Yemeni expert on Islamist militant affairs said it bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda-linked militants who have repeatedly attacked government officials and installations over the past two years.

Insight - Fukushima water tanks: leaky and built with illegal labor Posted: 05 Dec 2013 01:25 PM PST By Antoni Slodkowski NAHA, Japan (Reuters) - Storage tanks at the Fukushima nuclear plant like one that spilled almost 80,000 gallons of radioactive water this year were built in part by workers illegally hired in one of the poorest corners of Japan, say labor regulators and some of those involved in the work. "Even if we didn't agree with how things were being done, we had to keep quiet and work fast," said Yoshitatsu Uechi, 48, a mechanic and former bus driver, who was one of a crew of 17 workers recruited in Okinawa and sent to Fukushima in June 2012 - among the thousands of workers from across Japan who have put together the emergency water tanks and stabilized the plant after three reactor meltdowns that were triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The Okinawa crew was recruited by Token Kogyo, an unregistered broker, and passed on to work at the Fukushima plant under the direction of Tec, a larger contractor which reported to construction firm Taisei Corp, records show.

Ukraine protesters vow to stay on streets despite police threat Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:05 PM PST By Matt Robinson KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian pro-Europe demonstrators vowed to stay on the streets and continue their blockade of government buildings, despite a police threat to crack down "harshly" to enforce a court order that they disperse. Kiev's November 21 decision to abandon a trade and integration deal with the EU and pursue closer economic ties with Moscow brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators into the streets over the weekend. Protesters have since blockaded the main government headquarters and occupied Kiev's city hall. The government ratcheted up its rhetoric on Thursday, with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov branding opponents "Nazis and criminals." Kiev's police chief, Valery Mazan, threatened to "act decisively, harshly" if the protesters defy the court order to end their blockade and occupation of government buildings.

U.S. assures Israel that core Iran sanctions still in place Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:46 AM PST By David Brunnstrom JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that core sanctions against Iran would remain in place despite its interim nuclear deal with world powers. The November 24 accord in Geneva was denounced as a "historic mistake" by Netanyahu, increasing strains in an alliance already marked by his past disputes with U.S. President Barack Obama over strategy on Iran and the Palestinians. Visiting Israel as the talks with Tehran gathered pace, Kerry met an irate Netanyahu. Israel argues an easing of some sanctions on Iran before it abandons nuclear projects with bomb-making potential risks snowballing as foreign business partners rush into the breach.

Mandela, anti-apartheid icon, mourned world over Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:54 PM PST In nearly seven decades spent fighting for freedom and equality, Nelson Mandela inspired and challenged the world to stand up for others. As word of Mandela's death spread Thursday, current and former presidents, athletes and entertainers, and people around the world spoke out about the life and legacy of the former South African leader.

Gracious and tough, Mandela was fun to cover Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:51 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — The thing about Nelson Mandela was that he made the rest of us want to be almost as noble as he.

US repatriates two Algerian Guantanamo detainees Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:47 PM PST Two detainees were sent home to Algeria from the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, despite the prisoners' protests that they face persecution there. The Pentagon said Djamel Saiid Ali Ameziane and Bensayah Belkecem were transferred from the prison after a review "examined a number of factors, including security issues." The transfers were the latest in a series stemming from President Barack Obama's much-delayed efforts to meet his vow to finally shut down the US detention center in Cuba. With the departures, the number of inmates at Guantanamo has been whittled down to 162, nearly 12 years after the facility was opened at a US naval base on the southeastern tip of the island.

South Africans mourn, celebrate Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:41 PM PST JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As the news of Nelson Mandela's death spread across South Africa, residents of Soweto gathered in the streets near the house where he once lived, singing and dancing to mourn his death and celebrate his colossal life.

Mandela's struggle was personal inspiration for me: Obama Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:33 PM PST By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - America's first black president, Barack Obama, hailed Nelson Mandela on Thursday as a source of personal inspiration whose struggle against racism in South Africa jump=started his own involvement in politics. Speaking in the White House press room shortly after the announcement of Mandela's death, a somber-looking Obama said the 95-year-old leader left a legacy of freedom and peace. "I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life. My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid," Obama said.

William 'extremely sad' as he leaves Mandela premiere Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:32 PM PST Britain's Prince William called Thursday's death of Nelson Mandela "extremely sad and tragic", immediately after attending the London premiere of a film celebrating the life of the iconic anti-apartheid fighter. Mandela's daughter Zindzi was also at the screening of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom", insisting on her way into the cinema in London's Leicester Square that her father was "fine" but "frail", and that she was "hoping to see more of him." William was told of Mandela's death during the screening, and gave a brief statement as he left the cinema following a two-minute silence held at the end of the film. "We were just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now," he said, flanked by his wife Catherine.

Nelson Mandela's death: Live Report Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:31 PM PST 0030 GMT: Both the rugby and cricket worlds are responding to Mandela's death. Fans attending the second Ashes cricket Test match in Adelaide observed a minute's silence to mark Mandela's passing and players wore black arm bands in his honor. South Africa's one-day international cricket captain AB de Villiers saluted Mandela by tweeting, "Let us now, more than ever, stick together as a nation! We owe him that much. #madiba you will be missed! #tata #inspiration #leader."

Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela dies aged 95 Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:25 PM PST Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and a towering figure of 20th century politics, died Thursday aged 95. The Nobel Peace laureate, who was elected South Africa's first black president after spending nearly three decades as a political prisoner, died at his Johannesburg home surrounded by his family, after a long battle against lung infection. The news was announced to the nation and the world by a clearly emotional South African President Jacob Zuma in a live broadcast to the nation. "Our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation has departed," said Zuma, who was also imprisoned on Robben Island.

Uniting South Africa was Mandela's greatest accomplishment: de Klerk Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:23 PM PST Nelson Mandela's greatest accomplishment was to unify South Africa and push for reconciliation between blacks and whites in the post-apartheid era, F.W. de Klerk, the country's last white president, said on Thursday. This emphasis on reconciliation was his biggest legacy," de Klerk, 77, said in an interview with CNN after the announcement of Mandela's death at age 95. De Klerk, a white Afrikaner who released Mandela from prison in 1990 and then negotiated the end of apartheid, said Mandela was a humane man who was able to understand and soothe the fears of South Africa's white minority in the transition to democracy. De Klerk said he felt a connection to the African National Congress leader during their first meeting in 1989, shortly after de Klerk had taken over as leader of South Africa's apartheid government.

Nelson Mandela has died, Zuma tells the world Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:19 PM PST Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, has died aged 95, President Jacob Zuma said Thursday. "He is now resting ... he is now at peace," a visibly emotional Zuma said. In a sombre statement read live on television by the president, Zuma told his fellow South Africans: "Our people have lost a father.

Clashes sweep Central Africa Republic capital Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:11 PM PST BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Wielding rifles and machetes, armed Christian fighters who support the Central African Republic's exiled president assaulted the capital at dawn on Thursday, leaving nearly 100 people dead. Shrouded bodies were lined up in a mosque as dozens of wounded lay on blood-stained hospital floors.

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's peacemaker, dies Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:06 PM PST JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nelson Mandela was a master of forgiveness.

American teacher shot dead in Libya's Benghazi Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:06 PM PST TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — An American chemistry teacher was shot to death as he was jogging in Benghazi on Thursday, highlighting persistently tenuous security in the eastern Libyan city where the U.S. ambassador was killed last year.

Renewable fuel backers try to change EPA's mind at hearing Posted: 05 Dec 2013 04:03 PM PST By Cezary Podkul WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of the renewable fuels industry turned out en masse on Thursday, desperate for the U.S. government to change course after last month announcing a plan to lower the amount of biofuels that must be added to the fuel supply in 2014. About 300 people attended a public meeting held by the Environmental Protection Agency on the Renewable Fuel Standard, proposed changes which have become one of the most divisive policy issues of the year. The number of stakeholders who signed up to testify - almost 150 - was 10 times or more the count at a similar meeting a year ago, an EPA official said. Robert Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, estimated that more than 100 of the speakers scheduled to testify were in favor of preserving the renewable fuel standard.

Guay fastest in Beaver Creek training Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:57 PM PST Beaver Creek (United States) (AFP) - Canada's Erik Guay posted the fastest training time Thursday ahead of Friday's World Cup downhill race.

Mandela in his own words Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:57 PM PST "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." — statement to the court during the Rivonia trial, April, 20, 1964.

World leaders honor Mandela as champion of freedom and reconciliation Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:39 PM PST (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela was hailed on Thursday as a "hero of our time" as tributes poured in from world leaders on the death of the man who led the triumphant fight against apartheid in South Africa and became that country's first black president. "Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time." Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, said Mandela "achieved more than could be expected of any man. South African President Jacob Zuma, announcing that Mandela died at his Johannesburg home on Thursday after a prolonged lung infection, said, "Our people have lost a father. Mandela emerged from 27 years in apartheid prisons to help guide South Africa to democracy, becoming one of the world's most respected and loved political figures.

President Obama's comments about death of Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:27 PM PST President Barack Obama on Thursday mourned the death of South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon. Obama made a somber appearance at the White House to talk about the loss of Mandela with whom he shares the distinction of being his nation's first black president.

Tutu: Mandela 'taught us how to come together' Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:26 PM PST South Africa's archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu lauded his compatriot and fellow Nobel peace laureate Nelson Mandela Friday as the man who taught a deeply divided nation how to come together. "Over the past 24 years Madiba taught us how to come together and to believe in ourselves and each other. He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison," Tutu said marking Mandela's passing. Tutu dismissed doomsayers who have long predicted South Africa will fall apart after Mandela's death.

Obama mourns death of icon Nelson Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:23 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Counting himself among the millions influenced by Nelson Mandela, President Barack Obama on Thursday mourned the death of the anti-apartheid icon with whom he shares the distinction of being his nation's first black president.

'A great light has gone out', Cameron says of Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:22 PM PST British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said "a great light had gone out" following Nelson Mandela's death as flags flew at half-mast at his Downing Street Office. "Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; "Nelson Mandela showed us the true meaning of courage, hope, and reconciliation," he stressed. "From campaigner to prisoner to president to global hero, Nelson Mandela will always be remembered for his dignity, integrity and his values of equality and justice.

Activists: Rebels kill Iraqi journalist in Syria Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:15 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition fighters killed an Iraqi freelance journalist in the rebel-held north of the country, the latest of dozens of reporters who have died in the country over the past three years, an activist group and an international media watchdog said Thursday.

Quebecor sells 74 Canadian weeklies to Transcontinental Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:07 PM PST Sun Media, a subsidiary of Canada's Quebecor publishing giant, announced Thursday the sale of 74 weekly Quebec community newspapers and associated websites to the country's largest printer TC Transcontinental. "The digital revolution has completely transformed the local print media market in recent years," said Quebecor's president, Robert Depatie. "We believe in the future of print media but we cannot ignore the new market realities." According to Francois Olivier, head of TC Transcontinental, the acquisition gives his company an inroad to local online news in the largely French-speaking province of Quebec while bolstering its burgeoning media empire.

Obama: 'courageous' Mandela left legacy of freedom, peace Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:06 PM PST President Barack Obama hailed former South African President Nelson Mandela on Thursday as a leader who left his country with a legacy of freedom and peace. "He achieved more than could be expected of any man," Obama said at the White House shortly after the announcement of Mandela's death. "Today he's gone home, and we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth," Obama said. Obama, the first black U.S. president, has long referred to Mandela as a personal inspiration.

Zuma's announcement on death of Nelson Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:03 PM PST Following is the full text of South African President Jacob Zuma's address to the nation on the death of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday: "My Fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding President of our democratic nation, has departed. "Let us express, each in our own way, the deep gratitude we feel for a life spent in service of the people of this country and in the cause of humanity.

Nicaragua shootout fuels suspicions of guerrillas Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:03 PM PST MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — A rare shootout between police and an armed group that left 10 people dead in northern Nicaragua has fueled suspicions that guerrillas are forming to challenge President Daniel Ortega's government.

Hurricane-force winds wreak havoc in Britain, head to Europe Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:58 PM PST By Erik Kirschbaum and Belinda Goldsmith BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - Hurricane-force Storm Xaver blasted towards mainland Europe on Thursday after cutting transport and power in northern Britain and killing three people in what meteorologists warned could be the worst storm to hit the continent in years. British authorities said the Thames Barrier, designed to protect London from flooding during exceptional tides, would shut on Thursday night and warned of "the most serious coastal tidal surge for over 60 years in England". Prime Minister David Cameron called two emergency meetings to discuss strategy. Two people were killed in Britain as the nation's weather office measured winds of up to 225 km per hour (140 mph) when the storm slammed Scotland and parts of England.

Factbox: Reaction to the death of Nelson Mandela Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:55 PM PST (Reuters) - The following is reaction to the death of Nelson Mandela on Thursday at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma: "Our people have lost a father. His humility, passion and humanity earned him their love." British Prime Minister David Cameron, on Twitter: "A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time." U.S. President Barack Obama: "He achieved more than could be expected of any man.... Today he's gone home, and we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth." Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, in a statement: "Barbara and I mourn the passing of one of the greatest believers in freedom we have had the privilege to know.

Kerry seeks to soothe Israeli security concerns Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:55 PM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Looking to soothe irritated relations with Israel, America's top diplomat on Thursday pledged to support the Jewish state's security throughout separate negotiations with Iran and the Palestinians — including Israel's demand that it "defend itself, by itself."

South Africa has lost 'colossus' in Mandela: ANC Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:50 PM PST JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa and the world have lost "a colossus and epitome of humility, equality, justice and peace" with the death of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, the ruling African National Congress said on Friday. "His life gives us the courage to push forward for development and progress towards ending hunger and poverty," it said in a statement. (Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Ed Cropley)

Pope forms commission to advise on sex abuse Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:49 PM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Tuesday responded to complaints that he has largely ignored the clerical sex abuse scandal, agreeing to assemble a panel of experts to advise the Holy See on protecting children from pedophiles and helping abuse victims heal.

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